Control device for automobile self-starters.



' Patented Feb. 17,1914.

INVENTOR ATTORN ALDEN L. McMURTRY, OF SOUND BEACH, CONNECTICUT.

CONTROL DEVICE FOR AUTOKCBILE SELF-STARTERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 17, 1914.

Application filed January 31, 1912. Serial No. 674,584.

To all f/U'Hil it may concern:

Be it known that I, .thLDEN L. MCMUR'TRY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Sound Beach, county of F airfield, State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Control Device for Automobile Self-Starters, of which the following is a specification.

As is well known to those skilled in the use of self starting devices for automobiles,

it is necessary that the battery switch be guarding against careless and faulty oper-' ation.

In the drawings herewith for the purpose of illustrating the use of my invention, 1 have shown the same in detail in connection with a self starting device using one form of motive power, and have indicated its use in connection with a device using a different form of motive power. It will however be obvious that the use of my invention in connection with any form of self starting device involves only such change of details of mechanism to suit which any skilled mechanic can make.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 represents a view of one form of application of my invention the parts shown being in elevation. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view on an enlarged scale in elevation of a portion of the construction shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of an application of my invention to a self starting mechanism using electricity-as its motive power.

Like characters of reference denote like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

Turning to a detail description of Figs. 1 and 2 there is a diagrammatic reprmntation of an automobile engine 10 which, in this instance. is provided with a compressed air self starting device not shown, the cylinders being connected with a compressed air tank by pipe 11. A branch pipe 12. from pipe 11. leads into a small cylinder 13, centrally thereof, the cylinder 13 being provided with heads 14 each formed with air ports 15. Into each end of the cylinder 13 eatends a piston rod 16 connected with a piston 17 fitting the bore of the cylinder. Each piston is normally positioned with its head adjacent the middle of the cylinder by means of a spiral spring 18 extending between the inner face of each cylinder head 13 and the back face of each'piston 17. It will readily be seen that when compressed air passes through pipe 11 to the engine cylinders a portion of the charge of air will be diverted through pipe 12 and, entering cylinder- 13, will operate to move the pistons therein, outward. After the charge of compressed air has been shutoff from the engine cylinders V and the cylinder 13 the springs 18 will operate to bring the pistons to their normal positions nearer the middle of the cylinder.

Outside of the cylinder 13 one of the piston rods 16 terminates in a head 19. A switch 20, shown in a central neutral position and adapted to be thrown to connect either the battery, through contact 21, or the magneto, through contact 22, is provided with an arm 23 terminating in a head 21adjacent and on a line with head 19 on the piston rod. Upon the outward movement of this piston under the force of compressed air it is evident that the end 19 of the piston rod will contact with end 21 of arm 23 and operate thereby to throw the switch 20 from its neutral position over on to contact 21 to connect the battery. This movement of the piston rod will of course move the switch 20 off of contact 22 if it happens to be resting there, and onto battery contact 21. After the piston returns to its normal position in cylinder 13 the switch may be operated as desired, and as is usual, by hand.

A magneto 25 is shown, the spark control being from a hand lever (not shown) through rod 26, pivoted bell crank lever 27 and rod 28 movable in and normally abutting the bottom of the cylindrical bore of the enlarged top portion 29 of a rod 30. which last is connected to an arm 31 projecting from the distributor to the' mag neto, which according to common practice may also serve as the distributer for the bat tery circuits. The rod 28 is normally held in position abutting the bottom of the bore of rod portion 29 by means of a tension spring 32 connecting a projecting arm 33 'lbc arm 31 is shown in full lines in the position of advance spark and in dotted lines 31 in position of retard spark. The enlarged top portion 29 of rod is provided at the top with an annular flange The second piston rod 16 of cylinder 13 is connected by a link 86 with one arm of a bell crank lcvtr 3T operable on a fixed pivotlS. The free end of the other arm of lever 23? rests on the'top flange of rod EMF-29. The automatic operation of the spark con trol by the control device is as follows; The compressed air charge in cylinder 13 forcing out the piston rod 16, which is attached to link 36, will operate lever 37 on its fixed pivot so that the outer end of its free arm will force rod 29-30 downward and throw the distributer arm to the'position 31 of retard spark. After the force of the compressed air has been expended the piston rod 16 will resume its normal position in cylinder 13, and the spring 32 will draw up the rod 3029 to again place the magneto arm in the position of advance spark. It will, be noted that the hand control of the spark is in no way interfered With by the automatic control above described.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that in the use of the self starting device, the proper and necessary adjustment of switch and spark control are automatically and simultaneously provided for, and that -furthermore the hand operation of these parts remains unchanged andindependent of the automatic control.

In Fig. 3 is diagrammaticallyillustrated an application of my invention for use with an electric self starter. In this instance-the positive and negative leads which run to the starting device are also connected to an elcctro-magnetic coil l0, so that when the current. is turned on to operate the self starter the coil will be energized to draw in its core 41. The core 41 is connected at its outer end with arm 42. .One end of the arm 42 is connected at a fixed pivot with arm 43 the free outer end of which rests on .top of rod 99 heretofore described. The

opposite end of arm 42 is adapted upon operatiouof core 41, to contact withthe end of switch arm 23 heretofore described. The core ll is normally maintained in the position in which it is shown in the drawings by a spring 44:. \Vhen the coil 40 is enertery. When coil 40 is deelnergized the core all Wlll be drawn out again by spring 4+1 and the arm will be brought to a position of adstarter for moving the spark control mechanism.

Q. In combination with an internal combustion engine and a self-starter therefor, a conductor through which the self-starter is supplied with energy, a manually operable spark control mechanism, and an automatic actuating device arranged to be supplied from said conductor concurrently with the self-starter for moving the spark control mechanism.

3. In combination with an internal combustion. engine and a self-starting mechanism therefor, a manually adjustable spark control mechanism, a manually operable switch and an actuating device arranged to act dependent upon the operation of the self-starting mechanism, and means for transmitting the movement of said actuating device to the spark control mechanism and to the switch without interfering with the manual operation thereof.

-l. In a control device for self starting mechanisms, means adapted to operate the spark control mechanism upon operation of the self starting mechanism, said means comprising a cylinder, a piston within the cylinder, and a connection between the piston and the spark control operating mechanism.

In a control device for self starting mechanisms, means adapted to operate the battery switch and spark control mechanism upon operation of the self Starting mechanism, said means comprising a cylinder, :1 connection between the engine starter and said cylinder, a pair of pistons within the cylinder, means for causing the movement of one of the pistons to move the battery switch, and means for causing the moveinentof the piston to more the spark control mechanism.

ALDEN L. MCMURTRY. IVitnesses;

F. GRAVES, G. QUIMBY. 

